hr influencer
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
By Lisa Gordon
When HR Professional connected with Allan Bartolini
in late May, he was a man in transition. With just a
few days left in his role as VP of human resources
and organizational development with The Global
Furniture Group in Toronto, Bartolini was preparing to move on
to his next challenge at automotive replacement parts provider,
Mevotech LP.
By the time this article is published, he’ll be driving to a new of-fice.
But Bartolini says that not only will his title be the same at
Mevotech, so will the principles and philosophies that have been
the foundation of his successful 34-year HR career.
When did you decide you wanted a career in human resources?
Allan Bartolini: The funny thing is that HR found me. After
graduating with a business and economics degree, I was trying to
find myself, as most young grads do, and began looking for a ca-reer.
I targeted larger organizations as I felt they would provide me
with a wider range of internal growth opportunities. I applied at
Goodyear Canada for a mailroom position with the intention of
working my way up. When I got home, I had a call that they had a
position as a recruiter. And that’s how I got my start.
That was your first HR job?
AB: I handled recruitment at Goodyear for junior level posi-tions.
In those days, there was no Internet and everything was
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ JUNE 2017 ❚ 39